Science and Public Policy Institute

See also Science and Public Policy Institute (disambiguation) for  George Carlo's organization.

The Science and Public Policy Institute (SPPI) is a global warming skeptics group which appears to primarily be the work of Robert Ferguson, its President; its website draws heavily on papers written by Christopher Monckton.

Its legal status and financial arrangements are intriguing.

Mission
SPPI describes itself as "a nonprofit institute of research and education dedicated to sound public policy based on sound science." It also proclaims that it is "free from affiliation to any corporation or political party, we support the advancement of sensible public policies for energy and the environment rooted in rational science and economics. Only through science and factual information, separating reality from rhetoric, can legislators develop beneficial policies without unintended consequences that might threaten the life, liberty, and prosperity of the citizenry."

SPPI's legal status? (not an IRS nonprofit)
Although SPPI's webpages describe it as "a nonprofit institute of research and education dedicated to sound public policy...", SPPI has not been granted nonprofit status from the IRS by early 2011, 3+ years after it was formed.

The entry in Virginia's Corporation Records for "Science and Public Policy Institute, The" (#0673507-0) shows SPPI's directors as Robert E. Ferguson, retired Virginia attorney Wm Bruce Gair, and "Garth R Poter" ( presumably sometime Porter and Gair partner, attorney Garth R. Porter ). But this was reportedly a shell corporation, with no income and no expenditures.

Who pays Bob Ferguson?
The 2009 Form 990 for the Idsos' Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change reports the Center paid Ferguson a base salary of $247,500 plus a $60,000 bonus. Efforts to ask Ferguson about this arrangement have not yet been successful.

Connections to FoF's Center for Science and Public Policy
Prior to founding SPPI in approximately mid-2007, SPPI's Ferguson was the Executive Director of the Center for Science and Public Policy (CSPP), a project of the corporate-funded Frontiers of Freedom Institute.

SPPI is in the same building as CSPP, though in different offices - SPPI at Suite 299 and CSPP at Suite 2100.

Timeline

 * March 2005-May 2007, Ferguson edits CSPP weekly bulletin
 * June 2007, First known SPPI press release issued, supporting the statements made by the then NASA Administrator Michael Griffin questioning global warming. Heartland Institute's Harriette Johnson was listed as media contact.
 * July 2007, SPPI begins publishing SPPI eWire, identical in content style to CSPP's Climate Weekly, Climate and Environment Weekly and Climate and Environment Review.

On SPPI name confusion with Carlo's SPPI
Ferguson founded and named this group approximately eight years after George L. Carlo had founded the identically-named, pro-public-health Science and Public Policy Institute, to work on issues such as electro-magnetic radiation and health issues.

Ferguson states he was oblivious to the existence of Carlo's group, and that it was only after registering his organization in Virginia that he discovered Carlo's group existed, but by then his group had created the website and printed their stationery.

Funding
On its website SPPI does not detail the sources of its funding or outline its approach to disclosure.

For past funding (of CSPP) by Exxon, see the "Exxon funding" section of the Frontiers of Freedom page.

Displayed
On SPPI's "Personnel" page, the following names appear: :
 * Robert Ferguson, SPPI President
 * Lord Christopher Monckton (UK)
 * William Kininmonth, (Australia)
 * Bob Carter (Australia)
 * Craig Idso of the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change
 * David Legates
 * Joseph D'Aleo

Previously
These additional names were reportedly present in Feb. 2009:
 * Willie Soon, Chief Science Adviser
 * James J. O'Brien

Contact Details
Science and Public Policy Institute 209 Pennsylvania Ave. SE Suite 299 Washington, D.C. 20003

5501 Merchants View Square,# 209 Haymarket, VA 20169 Website: http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/

Other SourceWatch Resources

 * Science and Public Policy Institute (disambiguation)
 * Robert E. Ferguson
 * Center for Science and Public Policy
 * Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change
 * Heartland Institute
 * Frontiers of Freedom Institute
 * Global warming skeptics